INSERT

BOOK
COVER

Exploring Microsoft
Office
Getting Started with
Windows 7
by Robert Grauer, Lynn
Hogan, and Mary Anne
Poatsy

Objectives

Understand the desktop

Manage windows
Identify Windows accessories
Work with security settings and software
Perform a search
Get help

Windows 7 Desktop
Operating system
Desktop
Taskbar Icons
Window
Icon
Start button

Desktop

Taskbar
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Windows 7 Desktop
The desktop is the screen that displays once you have
turned on the computer and responded to prompts for
your user name and password. This is your workspace.
It is where you manage tasks on the computer. Your
software opens on the desktop. You manipulate your
files and folders on the desktop.
The taskbar provides you with access to the software
applications, enables you to move between the
applications, and gives you access to system resources.
It is a horizontal bar that appears at the bottom of the
screen.
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Windows 7 Desktop
A window is a space on the desktop representing a program,
system resource, or data. Multiple windows can be open at one
time, working independently as well as together. For instance, if
you write a report on the latest sales for your company, you will
open a spreadsheet and copy the net profit directly from the
spreadsheet into the report document. Windows can be moved
around the desktop, minimized to take up less space, and
maximized to fill the desktop.
Icons are small pictures that represent programs, files, folders, or
other things on the desktop. Objects with the same
characteristics, like file folders, have the same icon. Software
icons are unique so that you can quickly find the software
application.
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Adding Gadgets

Gadgets

Online gadgets
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Adding Gadgets
Gadgets, such as a clock, calendar, photo slide show,
headline feed, or puzzle, are added to your desktop to
make it more convenient for you to use. Gadgets run
constantly on your desktop. Gadgets can be selected
from Windows 7 or downloaded from the Internet.
Windows includes a calendar, clock, CPU meter,
currency converter, headline feeds, puzzle, slide show,
weather and Windows Media Center. Online you will find
gadgets for many other functions, such as a Bing search,
Outlook Upcoming Appointments, traffic, Google, and
Yahoo.

The Taskbar
Word
Exc
el

Program icons
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The Taskbar
The taskbar enables you to move between open windows and
provides access to the resources of your computer. Just as you can
have many files and papers covering your desk, in Windows 7, you
can have many applications open on your computer desktop. Using
the taskbar, you activate a window that is covered by other windows by
clicking the program icon. If you have used Windows in the past, it is
important to note that, by default, only one program icon appears for
each application that is running, not an icon for each window. For
instance, if you open a cover letter and a rsum on the desktop, only
one program iconfor Microsoft Wordwill appear on the taskbar. If
you wish to change this so that there is an application icon for each
open window, right-click an open area of the taskbar, select Properties,
click Never Combine on the Taskbar buttons list box, and then click
OK. You may also select to combine the application icons when the
taskbar is full.
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Aero Peek

Preview

Program icon with three Word documents shown

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Aero Peek
Aero Peek provides a preview of the window
when you place your mouse pointer over the
program icon. This tells you at a glance whether
the item on the taskbar is the one you wish to
view.

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The Start Menu

System folders
Programs
Control Panel

Help and Support

All Programs
Search box

Shut down

Start button
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The Start Menu

The Start menu, accessed with a click on the Start
button, lists the programs, folders and utility
applications that are available on your computer.
The Start menu is divided into panes, with similar
items grouped on a pane. The left pane displays a
list of programs that you commonly access on the
computer.

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 The right pane accesses your system folders, such

as Documents, Pictures and Music. You open and
adjust your system settings from this pane, using
the Control Panel. You also log off, shut down, and
get help using the right pane of the Start menu.
Below the left pane, the Search box enables you to
type keywords to complete searches for files or
folders on your computer. Searching will be
covered in a later slide in this presentation.
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The Toolbar

Right-click on taskbar
to see the toolbars

Address toolbar
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The Toolbar
To add toolbars to the taskbar, right-click on an
open area of the taskbar, and point to Toolbars.
Select the toolbar you wish to use.
A checkmark appears next to toolbars that are
already active on the taskbar.
The Address toolbar is useful in accessing
Internet Web pages quickly by typing the URL or
Web address into the toolbar.
The Links toolbar is a way to navigate to locations
that you have set on your browser as favorites.
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Pinning an Application

Jump List (iTunes)

Pinned programs

Currently open program (iTunes)

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Pinning an Application
Software applications are pinned to the
taskbar to make them accessible with a
single click, even when they are not
currently running. This saves you time
since you will not have to click the Start
button, open the All Programs menu, and
then select the application.

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The Notification Area

Pop-up window

Open Action Cente

link

Action Center icon

Notification area
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The Notification Area

The Notification area alerts you to important
information about activities going on behind the
scenes in your computer. A red circle with an X on the
notification icon indicates that a message is available.
Click the notification icon and a pop-up window
displays the information. The notification area provides
information on the detection of new devices on your
computer, the availability of software updates, or
recommended maintenance and security tasks. The
notification can be opened for more information by
clicking on the Open Action Center link.
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Customize the Desktop

Themes

Desktop Background

Window Color

Screen Saver
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Customize the Desktop

Just as you can rearrange the items on your
desk, you can customize your desktop to make it
uniquely suited to your tastes.
The screen saver, a series of moving pictures
that appears when your computer has been idle
for a period of time, along with background and
window color, are selected from the
Personalization window.
Right-click on an empty portion of the desktop
and select Personalize to open this window.
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Window Components
Title bar

Minimize windowMaximize windowClose window

Scroll bar

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Window Components
All windows share common components. These
components make it easier for you use the
applications. The title bar, at the top of every open
window provides the name of the file or folder, as
well as the application name. Located on the right
side of the title bar, the control buttons enable you to
minimize the window to the taskbar so you dont see
it, maximize it to fill the screen, or close the window.
When you have a window maximized, the middle
control button becomes a restore button which
returns the window to a smaller size.
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Window Components (continued)

Aero Flip 3D

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Window Components (continued)

Cascade windows

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Dialog Boxes

Check box
Option button
Spin arrow
Text box
List box

Command button

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Windows Accessories

Notepad

WordPad
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Windows Accessories
Windows 7 contains accessory application software that
enables you to accomplish a few basic tasks. The
programs include Notepad, WordPad, Paint, Snipping
Tool, and Calculator. We will discuss each in the next few
slides.
Notepad is a text editing application. It focuses mainly on
capturing text. Computer programmers and Web
designers often use it to write programs. Document
formatting is not a feature of Notepad. You can see that
the window is very plain.

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Windows Accessories
WordPad, in contrast, is more like a word
processing program. It includes a more robust
interface, enabling you to format text and insert
graphics. It is a handy application if you do not
have access to Microsoft Word. WordPad saves
the documents in Microsoft Word format so that
they can open in Word. Granted, it does not
contain all of the functions of Microsoft Word, but it
does have the basic tools.
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Windows Accessories (continued)

Click here to
open a picture
Ribbon

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Windows Accessories (continued)

A graphics accessory, Paint, enables you
to create drawings and to open digital
photographs or graphics. Click the Start
button, All Programs, Accessories, and
Paint to open the application.

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Windows Accessories (continued)

Scientific view

Statistics view
Standard
view

Programmer
view

Copyright 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall.

33

Windows Accessories (continued)

The Calculator accessory is a handy tool for
doing many kinds of functionsfrom simple
calculations to advanced scientific, programming
and statistical functions. In fact, you dont just
have one calculator, but a variety from which to
select the type best for the job. Open the basic
calculator from the Start button. Click All
Programs, Accessories, and Calculator. With a
calculator open, click the View button to change
the view. All four views are shown on this slide.
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Windows Accessories (continued)

Sticky notes

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Windows Accessories (continued)

the sticky notes are available to place right on your desktop!
Open Sticky Notes by clicking the Start button, All
Programs, Accessories, and Sticky Notes. Record your todo list, phone numbers, and meeting reminders by typing on
the note. Notice that the font even looks like handwriting.
Click the plus sign in the upper left corner of the Sticky Note
to open a new note. To change the color of a note, right click
on the body of the note and select a different color. To delete
a note, click the Delete Note button in the upper right corner
of the note. You might like to place your Sticky Note pad on
your desktop by pinning the Sticky Notes to your taskbar as
discussed in a previous slide.
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Windows Search

Search bar on
Start menu

Search box in
the window

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Expand or Narrow a Search

Expand a search here Narrow a search here Search keyword

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Save a Search

Saved
search

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Help and Support

Help and Support home
Print

Browse help Options

Learn about other
support options

Browse topics
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Exploring Your Computer

Exploring Your Computer

Windows 7 provides at least eight ways to
view the contents of a folder
Click the Change your view button
arrow

Navigating with Windows

Explorer

Click the Windows Explorer button on the taskbar

Navigating with Windows

Explorer
Click the Windows Explorer button on the
taskbar

Summary
Windows 7 enables you to access your
system resources, work with software, and
manage files and folders.
In addition, security issues and
maintenance activities are monitored and
reported so you can keep your computer
in good working order.

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Questions

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Copyright

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,

stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Printed in the United States of America.

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48

Identify the different parts

of a desktop, and pin and
unpin an application.

49

Identify the parts of the Start

Menu, and display a sample
gadget the remove them
after.

50

Identify the components of

a window and modify the
desktop background.

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Identify the components of

a dialog box and open 3
utility programs.

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